Whispering Jack | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 September 1986 [1] | |||
Recorded | October 1985 – June 1986 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 41:14 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Ross Fraser | |||
John Farnham chronology | ||||
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Singles from Whispering Jack | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic |
Whispering Jack is the twelfth studio album by Australian adult contemporary pop singer John Farnham. [6] [7] [8] It was produced by Ross Fraser [9] and released on 29 September 1986, [1] peaking at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart. [10] Whispering Jack became the second-best-selling album in Australia, behind only Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell , and the highest-selling album in Australia by an Australian artist―24× platinum, indicating over 1.68 million copies sold; it remains the third-best-selling album of all time in Australia, as Shania Twain's Come On Over eventually eclipsed it. [11] It spent 25 weeks at the No. 1 spot on the albums chart during 1986–1987, [10] it was awarded the 1987 ARIA Award for Album of the Year, [12] and it was the best-charting album for the decade of the 1980s in Australia. [10] It was the first Australian-made album to be released on compact disc within Australia. One of Farnham's biggest hits, "You're the Voice", was issued as the lead single from the album and peaked at No. 1 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. [10]
Prior to this album, Farnham's career had stalled after being recruited and then leaving as lead singer of Little River Band. [6] Farnham's manager, Glenn Wheatley, mortgaged his home to raise funds for the recording of this album. [7] [8] After initial reluctance by major Australian radio stations to play the lead single, "You're the Voice", public demand became overwhelming and they relented. The song became one of the standout number-one songs on the Australian charts of the 1980s and still remains a staple of Australian radio. Whispering Jack restarted Farnham's career, which sustained across two more decades. On 21 November 2006, Whispering Jack was re-released to celebrate its 20th anniversary, which came with a bonus track, an extended studio version of "Pressure Down", and with a DVD of the edited 1987 Whispering Jack Live in Concert televised performance.
John Farnham had been a teen pop idol during the late 1960s and 1970s billed then as "Johnny". He met Glenn Wheatley, who was bass guitarist of rock group The Masters Apprentices, when both acts were managed by Darryl Sambell. [13] From the mid-1970s, Farnham had moved into television, stage and cabaret entertainment. [6] Wheatley, who was already managing Little River Band (LRB), signed Farnham to his company in 1980. [7] [13] They decided Farnham's comeback single would be a reworking of the Beatles' "Help!", [7] which was produced by LRB's Graeham Goble, [9] it peaked at No. 8 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart. [10] Farnham was utilising a more adult contemporary pop style [6] [14] and the associated album, Uncovered, was also produced by Goble, [7] [9] which peaked at No. 20 on the Kent Music Report albums chart. [10] The B-side of "Help" was Farnham's songwriting effort, "Jillie's Song", [7] co-written with Goble. [15] In recording the album, Farnham's studio band included guitarist Tommy Emmanuel (ex-Southern Star Band), keyboardist Mal Logan (ex-Renée Geyer Band, LRB), drummer Derek Pellicci (LRB) and bass guitarist Barry Sullivan (ex-Chain). [6] They became his tour band until Logan and Pellicci returned to their LRB commitments and were replaced by Sam McNally and David Jones respectively. [6] Three other solo singles followed in 1981 but none charted in the top 50. [10] In February 1982, after Glenn Shorrock had departed Little River Band, Farnham became their lead vocalist with recommendations by Goble and Wheatley. [6]
In 1985, Farnham had started collecting a song list for a future solo album while still in Little River Band, and after he finished his vocals for their album, No Reins , he left the band late that year. [6] [13] Farnham's first solo performances since 1981 were live shows with the John Farnham Band consisting of Brett Garsed on lead guitar, Sam See on guitar and Derek Pellicci, formerly of Little River Band, on drums. [6] [9] In early 1986, sound engineer Ross Fraser suggested to Wheatley that it was time to start working on the solo album. [8] Wheatley searched in vain for a producer and record label willing to work with Farnham, [8] so Fraser took on the producer role and Wheatley provided financial support. [7] [8]
Whilst visiting a jazz club in the US, Farnham was mistakenly introduced as Jack Phantom, and when he subsequently provided a running commentary for a local pool game he named himself Whispering Jack Phantom after the Pot Black commentator 'Whispering' Ted Lowe. [13] Farnham's work for the album, Whispering Jack, included expanding his song list with Fraser's advice. "A Touch of Paradise" was co-written by Gulliver Smith of Company Caine and Mondo Rock's Ross Wilson, [16] while "Pressure Down" was provided by Harry Bogdanovs. [17] Two weeks before the album was due to be recorded a demo tape arrived from London with similar material to "Pressure Down"; Farnham and Fraser listened to the demo of "You're the Voice" and knew they had found a once-in-a-lifetime song. [13] Another song on offer was "We Built This City" but Farnham knocked it back; it was later recorded by US band Starship. [13]
Recording began in October 1985 in the suburban garage of Farnham's house on Manningham road in Bulleen, Victoria. The recording's $150,000 cost was financed by the remortgaging of Glenn Wheatley's house. In addition to traditional instrumentation, the album relied heavily on sampling. The drum sounds on "You're the Voice" were sampled from a slamming car door played via the Fairlight CMI. [18]
Initially, public interest in the re-branded former teen idol was difficult to cultivate, and radio stations refused to play Farnham's album. Things, however, started to change after Sydney radio station 2Day FM played its first single, "You're the Voice", which was released in September 1986. Henceforth, radio stations began receiving requests for the song. Its television debut was on Hey Hey It's Saturday with Skyhook's Greg Macainsh providing bass guitar. [13] "You're the Voice" peaked at No. 1 in Sweden [19] [20] and Australia, [10] as well as being a top-ten hit in some European countries: No. 3 in Switzerland, [19] [21] No. 6 in the UK, [22] and No. 6 in Austria. [19] [23] The song was written by Andy Qunta (Icehouse), Keith Reid (Procol Harum), Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson (ex-Manfred Mann's Earth Band). [24]
Whispering Jack, released in September, became the highest-selling album by an Australian act in Australia, and peaked at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart for a total of 25 weeks. [10] As of 2006, it was 24× platinum, indicating sales of over 1.68 million units in Australia alone. [11] The album was released internationally on RCA/BMG and peaked at No. 1 in Sweden, [20] [25] No. 3 in Austria, [23] [25] the top 20 in Norway, [25] and No. 35 in the UK. [26] In August 1988 it returned to the Australian top ten. [27] Other Australian singles were December's "Pressure Down", which peaked at No. 4, March 1987's "A Touch of Paradise" and September's "Reasons". [10]
Farnham followed with the Jack's Back Tour; an initial itinerary of eleven performances was thought to be enough considering they were up against tours by Michael Jackson and Billy Joel, but after high ticket sales, it was extended by eight more shows and use of larger venues. At that time, Jack's Back Tour was the highest-grossing tour by an Australian act. [8] John Farnham Band now consisted of Brett Garsed on lead guitar, David Hirschfelder on keyboards (ex-Little River Band), Macainsh on bass and Angus Burchill on drums. [6] Farnham won six of the inaugural 1987 ARIA Music Awards for Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Highest Selling Album, Highest Selling Single, Best Male Artist and Best Adult Contemporary Album. [12] On 19 July 1987, TV series Countdown broadcast its last show, the 1986 Countdown Music and Video Awards with Farnham winning the Best Album Award for Whispering Jack. [28] In October 2010, Whispering Jack (1986) was listed in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums . [29] In December 2021, the album was listed at number three in Rolling Stone Australia's '200 Greatest Albums of All Time' countdown. [30]
In 2011, Farnham announced a national tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Whispering Jack, including the album being performed in its entirety in track order. [31]
Following the initial success of the album, a series of concerts was performed around Australia in 1987. One such performance was recorded at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, and broadcast on Network Ten. A full version of the concert was also released to video in the same year. [32]
Disc one (CD)
Disc two ("Whispering Jack Live in Concert" DVD) (Note: The DVD used the edited version originally broadcast on television in 1987, minus "Paper Paradise".)
Chart (1986–1989) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [10] | 1 |
Canada Top Albums ( RPM ) [33] | 36 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [34] | 4 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [35] | 32 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [36] | 2 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [37] | 12 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [38] | 1 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [39] | 3 |
UK Albums (OCC) [40] | 35 |
European Albums ( Eurotipsheet ) [41] | 22 |
Chart (1987) | Position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) | 1 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [42] | 5 |
Chart (1988) | Position |
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Australian Albums (ARIA) [43] | 10 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [44] | 24× Platinum | 1,730,000 [45] |
Canada (Music Canada) [46] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [47] | Gold | 250,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [48] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [49] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide 1986 and 1987 sales | — | 2,000,000 [50] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date |
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Australia | 29 September 1986 [1] |
United Kingdom | 13 January 1987 |
John Peter Farnham AO is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed until then as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist, although he replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band from 1982 to 1985.
Little River Band (LRB) are a rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums reached the top 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart including Diamantina Cocktail and First Under the Wire, which both peaked at No. 2. Nine singles appeared in the top 20 on the related singles chart, with "Help Is on Its Way" (1977) as their only number-one hit. Ten singles reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Reminiscing" their highest, peaking at No. 3.
John Farnham and Tom Jones – Together in Concert is an Australian tour featuring John Farnham and Tom Jones performing together for ten concerts throughout the capital cities of Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Jones sings his major hits, before Farnham performs his set including hits "One", "Pressure Down", "That's Freedom", "Heart's on Fire", "Playing to Win", "Everytime You Cry", "Man of the Hour", "Age of Reason" and "Burn for You". The pair then return to the stage together to perform four duets of soul classics: Sam and Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming", Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness", Ray Charles's "What'd I Say", Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music" and AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top ".
Glenn Dawson Wheatley was an Australian musician, talent manager, tour promoter and radio entrepreneur. Wheatley was the founder and managing director of Talentworks.
The Net is the seventh studio album by Australian group Little River Band. The Net was released in May 1983 and peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and No. 61 on the Billboard 200.
"You're the Voice" is a song recorded by the British-born Australian singer John Farnham released in 1986, which became an immediate hit in Australia as well as several European countries, his native country the United Kingdom, and Ireland. It was released as a single in September 1986 ahead of his album Whispering Jack, and was written by Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder, and Chris Thompson.
Age of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by Australian pop singer John Farnham. It was released through BMG in Australia on 25 July 1988 and debuted at No. 1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart in August and remained on top for eight weeks. It was the follow-up to his previous No. 1 album, Whispering Jack, and was the highest-selling album in Australia in 1988. As of 1997, it was eight times platinum, indicating sales of over 560,000 units. It is also critically considered one of Farnham's best albums, with the title track "Age of Reason" and "Beyond the Call" being about the urgency for the world to wake up and solve its problems.
David Hirschfelder is an Australian musician, film score composer and performer. As a musician he has been a member of Little River Band and John Farnham Band. He has composed film scores for many films, including Strictly Ballroom, Australia, The Railway Man, The Water Diviner and The Dressmaker. He was nominated for Academy Awards for his scores for Shine and Elizabeth.
Monsoon is the tenth studio album by Australian group, Little River Band, with Glenn Shorrock returning as lead singer after John Farnham left the group to release his solo album Whispering Jack. The album was released in May 1988 and peaked at number nine on the Kent Music Report albums chart.
Playing to Win is the eighth studio album by Australian group, Little River Band released on Capitol Records. This album is the second studio album with John Farnham as lead vocalist and the first to be recorded by the band in the United States. The album peaked at No. 38 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and at No. 75 on The Billboard 200.
The Essential John Farnham is a compilation album by John Farnham, released as a 3-CD set on 21 August 2009, as a part of "The Essential" series. This compilation was released to promote the "John Farnham – Live by Demand" tour.
Full House is a live album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 4 November 1991, and is the first live album by Farnham since his comeback via the 1986 release of Whispering Jack. It peaked at No.2 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Live at the Regent Theatre – 1 July 1999 is a live album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 30 August 1999, and peaked on the ARIA charts at No. 7.
The Last Time is a studio album by Australian singer John Farnham. The album was released in Australia on 7 October 2002 and reached No. 1 in the ARIA charts with triple platinum status. The album featured one single "Keep Talking" and two promotional singles
Classic Jack Live! is a DVD release by Australian singer John Farnham. The DVD was released by Sony BMG in Australia on 13 November 2005 in conjunction with Chain Reaction Live in Concert.
Chain Reaction Live in Concert is a DVD release by Australian singer John Farnham. The DVD was released in Australia on 13 November 2005 in conjunction with Classic Jack Live!.
Uncovered is the eleventh solo studio album by British-born Australian singer John Farnham, produced by Little River Band's Graeham Goble, and released on 3 July 1980, which peaked at No. 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report album chart and was certified gold in 1981.
With The Sydney Symphony Live at the Sydney Opera House is a DVD release by Australian singer John Farnham. The DVD was released in Australia on 29 April 2006.
Anderson Amos Temba "Andy" Qunta is an English singer, songwriter, composer and musician. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Qunta is best known as the keyboardist of the Australian rock band Icehouse from between 1982 and 1988. As a popular musician, he has been influenced by artists including the Who, Cliff Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Genesis, Manfred Mann, Yes, Todd Rundgren and Queen.
Love Songs is a compilation album by Australian singer John Farnham. It was released in Germany in July 2002.
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